Nigerian singer, Rema has opened up about what keeps him motivated as he continues to push boundaries in the music industry.
The 24-year-old singer gave insight into the unprecedented success in his career, his creative process, and what keeps him going as he climbs the ladder of success and fame.
The artist was asked about what drives him to keep pushing these boundaries in music since he has achieved so much at a young age.
In response, Rema explained that leaving his old life behind and entering the music industry came with new responsibilities. Thus, his biggest motivation became his family and support system.
“I’d say number one; my drive has always been family. I feel like my family has grown bigger by how much love I receive and how much people have supported me to achieve my vision.”
“I’d say that I feel like I have so much responsibility now; leaving the hood, the first thing you want to do is to feed your family and when you come in the game, you see all the responsibilities that come with being an artist or being the chosen one.”
Rema
Rema revealed his deep sense of duty and appreciation for those who supported him, showing that his motivation comes from both personal and professional commitments.
“There are different people called for different purposes and you look around you and see the people who supported you to achieve your dreams also have dreams; they also have dreams. Sometimes you have to take time out and ask them, ‘What do you want?’ and my manager would be like, ‘I want to manage the biggest artist out of Africa,’ and I want to get him that.”
Rema
“I have different drives, it’s not everything that is money exchange. Every responsibility is not 100% mine,” he explained.
Singer Reveals How He Would Give Back to Society
Rema shared his thoughts on how he plans to use his influence to give back to society in a meaningful way.
The ‘Hehehe’ singer opened up about his desire to go beyond the traditional charity methods, such as distributing bags of rice, which are commonly seen in Nigerian politics.
“With the influence, we now have as artists, I feel like we are now at the point where we can tell politicians, ‘Yo, you’re not doing your job!’ If I am seated with the governor, I will whisper in his ear, ‘i don’t think you’re doing this right. Sorry, it’s coming from a 24-year-old.”
Rema
He expressed his willingness to introduce helpful policies to Nigerian politicians, in a bid to better the lives of Nigerians.
“We can help convince them about policies, and the little we can do and invest the money we make, bringing it back home, giving kids life meaning,” he added.
He criticized the common practice of giving rice as a form of charity, noting that it doesn’t address long-term needs.
“A lot of times I tell my manager that it’s not about giving rice all the time. You don’t know if some kid has an allergy to rice, and then you leave and the kid has to go to the hospital to sort it out.
“There is a whole perspective of me giving back; I don’t like to do the basic ‘I gave you food,’ because what about tomorrow? What are they going to eat tomorrow?”
Rema
Rema offered more sustainable solutions, which he determined would help people in the long run, as opposed to giving them rice and food.
“I would rather create a platform that would consistently provide, a platform that would consistently educate, and a platform that would consistently clothe or shelter. It could be 200 people or could be 500 people, but if it’s 1000 people, it’s quite consistent.”
Rema
“It’s better than giving 1 million people food today and tomorrow, they’re hungry again. That’s my perspective on giving back, I’d use platforms and policies,” he explained.
In other news, Rema, born Divine Ikubor, speaks about his influence on the Afrobeats genre.
He specifically highlighted his decision to release an extended play (EP) as a debut, which he believes started a trend.
“When I came into the game [music industry], I brought a template. The way new artists come and dominate, mine was different. I started the EP trend. Every [new Afrobeats] artist since 2019 walked on that path like when you come out, you popped out with an EP.”
Rema
Rema acknowledged that some people may be hesitant to give him credit for his innovation, which prompted him to speak about his accomplishments.
The ‘Calm Down’ crooner had earlier asserted that his song created the International Awards category for Afrobeats. He also positioned himself alongside prominent Afrobeats artists, stating that he considers himself among the ‘Big Four’.
He acknowledged the contributions of top artists while emphasizing his impact.
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